6. Thank people in person by looking into their eyes–even to the clerks at the grocery store.

7. Get into the practice of writing down your gratitudes on a regular basis.

8. Stop yourself whenever you’re feeling bitter, gossipy, complain-y, or just whiny. Remember all you have to be grateful for. This is something I like to tell myself: “If this is the worst thing that happened to me today, I think I’ll be okay.”

9. Enjoy the Thanksgiving meal to its fullest–knowing that it comes around only once a year.

10. Wear pants with an elastic waist on Thanksgiving. Or don’t. Depends on your plans for after the big meal.

Thank you Alison for your excellent blog.
I would just like to add that I do wish that some clients would also say “thank you”. I recently sent artwork to two buyers who did not get back to me for over a week after it was received. I take a huge amount of care and time to pack well and enclose a personal note etc. Eventually after a couple of emails from me and in one case a letter, they acknowledged the delivery. Everything was fine and they “adored” the work, but apart from anything else isn’t it just a courtesy and a kindness to say thank you? I suppose buying a piece of art is, for some, just like buying an item of clothing, but original art is someone’s time, experience, passion, skill, and the result of much consideration and thought..sometimes just that simple “thank you” is worth more than the money!

Thank you for the fantastic and inspiring book, blog and website. Thank you for your spirit and enthusiasm that comes through in all of of the materials you have so generously offered to all of us. I am so grateful that my good friend Armond Scavo, who attended one of your seminars in Delaware a few years back, called me up upon returning and said, “You’ve got to check out this woman’s book. She’s amazing.”

[…] Say Thank You in a timely and appropriate manner. Did someone on staff help sell a big work for you? Send a handwritten Thank You note or give them a smaller work of art to encourage them to keep doing more of the same (and just because you’re a generous soul). […]